New-York tribune., 1887-05-15
SUNDAY EDITION.
MAY Is, 1887.
MORE PARKS FOR THE POOR
NEEDS OF THE TENEMENT DISTRICTS.
A BILL TO FURNISH BREArH1SG-sPors IN CROWDED


which the present municipal government had
undertaken Is the proposition to provide number Of
small parks open places throughout the city below
Onchundred ynfth-st, but particularly among
the densey populated tenement dstrics Mayor Hewitt
and President Beekman, Of the Board Of Aldermen. are
warmly interested In the matter and have had Corpora
ton Counsel Lacombe prepare o BILL which,
having passed through the Legislature just received
the Governors signature and has become o law. II
authorizes the local authorities to take the
land and apply 1t for the purposes Of public resort All
the heads Of the city departments warmly opposed 70
the present law creating the larger parks up In West
chester County and ask its repeal They look upon that
plan extrayagant and not Immediately necessary,
while the small parks will not be extremely costly and
are pressingly demanded.
"I am very glad the bill has passed. said the Mayor
yesterday. "It ought to have passed. It u
the ctys duty to provide as many facilities for
the poor 1t does for the rch SO far that has not been
DONE The workingpeople and the poorer classes.
called have substantial ground Of complaint against
the city In this respect The crowded parts OF the city
downtown are left almost wholly without breathing
places The provision Of such necessaries is proper
way to spend money"
is it instead the big westchester parks that you
offered this measure r.
"Not at all believe that every genera
ton should take care OF itself, and
that 1t Is unwise to spend money for
the Pelham Bay property now But didn't want this
TO depend the repeal of the acts which
oure the city to take that park land the Legislature
won't let out Of that bad bargain must stand by B
that's all But those parks will the exigencies
OF this Even II We took them, they much too
far away to the needs Of that body Of
people for whom the small parks are intended. What
they require breathing places near their tene-
menthouses, where they go in the
ings OF hot days and rest in quiet,
xvifh ala 49,.
agreeable surroundings 1t is the lack Of such things
that has made opportunity for Henry George. The
poor people feel that they denied the commonest
cessltes OF liio and they lend willing any
who promises them better things The only way
this is the OF this discomfort No
person who has any human feeling could walk
ON hot nights through the crowded tenement
districts and see these people forced to
crowd up together on the tops OF their
houses and indeed, sleep there, in order to get
breath Of fresh air it, and then oppose % this & measure The
acquiring property to be thus employed That is not
" For how many years :"
" The limit is not fixed. Why should 1t be The work
Cg aDne or nacs ama snoa on
modate the people 1t should be done in rational and
should be favor OF utilizing the ends OF blocks thus
taken. The ends looking out upon park ought to be
sold for half as much money as the block would cost"
President Beekman, OF the Board of Aldermen fs
highly enthusiastic plan and immensely grat-
fed that it mas received the Legislatures approval
He thus presented his views to a TRIBUNE reporter
'Tne city has very few parks for the recreation Of the
people south OF Fity-ninthst, especially on the
eait a1S west s sides e Fr9 the s bIp up
only two. T0mpkns Square and Stuyyesant Square
portion of the city has been neglected In making proper
and prer air and the opportunity for
out Of doors This necessity is especially pressing in the
OF the masses OF the people, who because OF their
compelled TO remain In the city during
tho heat OF the summer months. Mnat lt must
10 them and their families can only be ap.
mer through the densely populated districts on
the and west Sides and have the streets filled
with people trying bear under the exhaustion OF the
extreme heat.
"The purpose Of this bil-Assembly Bill No. 72e-is 10
vest the local authorities fan discretionary power 10
city south OF one ttst The exercise
of this discretion conded to the Board OF Street Open
Controller the Commissioner of Public Works the Presl
OF the Department OF Public Parks and the President
Of the Board OF Aldermen, of whom three Mr. Hewitt,
Mr. Loew and myself. members OF the Board
OF Estimate and Apporcnmen In exercising this power.
should the bill pass the Boar OF Street Opening would,
no doubt select plots OF land in the thckypopnlaed
tenement district There many plots land ia New
and avenues bounding them, but cIOkcd up by rear
buildings that the internal space when should always be
open for ventilation, and must be under this
law has been entirely closed All ventilation is thus
impossible or course, the sanitary condition such
such blocks remove the buildings aud throw them open
parks would be to confer on the people an immense
benefit. or course, this could not be done in all such
cases The Board would use its best Judgment to tho
location OF the squares.
ninth section the bill provides that after the
title the various pieces OF ground has been acquired
Department OF Public Parks shall be vested with ther
care CUSTODY aud construction, and authorizes the De-
parment erect and furnish therein for public purposes
Tor thecomfor health andrnstrucon the people such
and so many buildings the said Department OF Public
Parks with the concurrence OF the Board OF Estimate
and Apporonment shall determine TO DO neces.
sary and expedien The tenth section provides for
OF bonds to meet the necessary expenditures under
the bill desire to call particular attention 10 the
ful way In which the act has been drawn, to pre-
any improvidence exravagance No contract
be entered into liability incurred until the plans
therefor ana in the of buildings. estimate OF
ana approved by the Board OF Estimate and Apportion
men The act limits ali expenditures to sl000o00 in
any one year.
"My idea to the construction OF these
them with carefully selected trees shrubs and flow
s5s & az Srs With holding on
door concerts and with large spaces specially provided
time proceeding in a conservative way, erect buildings
along the exterior lines Of these parks for
restaurants circulating libraries and hot and cold baths
Posa as vSf" Of the Board Of Education under an ar
rangement providing for the free instruction OF
he pub in the ordinary sanitary rules OF everyday life,
and in cookery Of which the people are SO lanentaby
physical welLbeing much depends The buildings for
the circulating libraries could well be placed az the dis
properly with the trustees in g giving an the widest
fresRment is think. indispensable to tho
health, not TO speak Of the comfort OF
great CITY, Public baths provided for tho
neople abroad sometimes at great expense Hosts OF
moor people in York lack the proper facilities for
bathing purposes II q condition OF affairs which
not he remedied The buildings for the restau
o the rental OF similar buildings in Central Park tha
essees paving TO the city certain percentage OF their
gross receps the Park Department reseryimg the right
10 control the prices charged for all supplies
at do not wish to convey the idea that all these buildings
would or should be Immediately erected or course tho
PARK Department and tho Board OF Estimate Will pro-
ceed especially at first, expermentally testing the ma
ner In which these various improvements work beioa
going into any extensive construction The subject a
will receive close and sympathetic study at the hands
Of the publis."
TRYING TO GET THEIR CHILDREN VACCIyATED.
Women with babies in their arms filled the main
hall of Pol co Headquarters for several hours yester-